A man pardoned by Donald Trump just last week for his role in the J6 Capitol riot, has been shot and killed during a traffic stop in Indiana.
42-year-old Matthew Huttle was reportedly involved in a confrontation with a Jasper County deputy during the traffic stop, where he resisted arrest on Sunday.
Huttle resisted arrest during traffic stop
According to authorities, the incident escalated, resulting in the deputy firing his weapon and fatally wounding Huttle, the Associated Press reports.
Indiana State Police stated that the situation unfolded when Huttle was pulled over, and “an altercation took place between the suspect and the officer, which resulted in the officer firing his weapon and fatally wounding the suspect.”
Police have not disclosed why Huttle was stopped or what led to the altercation, but he was allegedly armed with a firearm at the time.
Jasper County Sheriff Patrick Williamson has requested a full investigation by the Indiana State Police.
“Our condolences go out to the family of the deceased as any loss of life is traumatic to those that were close to Mr. Huttle,” Williamson stated.
He noted that the deputy involved has been placed on paid administrative leave, per department protocol. His name will not be made public until State Police Detectives give approval.
Huttle’s identity was confirmed by the Jasper County coroner following an autopsy conducted Monday morning.
Man killed during traffic stop went to jail for traffic crimes
His attorney, Nick Barnes, who was representing him in several open motor vehicle cases, told the AP he did not know the context of the encounter that led to Huttle’s death. Huttle had previously served time for a driving-related offense.
Back in 2023, Huttle pled guilty to charges of unlawfully entering a restricted area during the Capitol riot. Court documents indicate Huttle spent just 16 minutes in the Capitol.
Investigators obtained footage Huttle himself had uploaded to Google, which reportedly documented his presence inside the building, including the iconic crypt area.
He was heard in the videos saying, “going to see if we can get inside,” referring to the Capitol.
Huttle had not acted alone. His uncle, Dale Huttle, was also at the Capitol that day and was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by supervised release after a plea deal.
Video evidence allegedly showed Dale assaulting officers on the Capitol steps using a flagpole.
Defense attorney Andrew Hemmer argued that Matthew Huttle had no deep political motivation.
“He was not a true believer in any political cause,” Hemmer remarked, adding that Huttle attended the January 6 Trump rally more out of curiosity and a lack of better plans after having been recently released from jail.
According to court documents, Huttle had just been released from prison on a DUI charge, when his uncle asked him to drive them both to Washington, D.C.
“It was a reckless decision resulting from Matt’s stupidity and failing to think through his actions,” Huttle’s lawyer defended in court documents.
“Matt has his grievances with the government and the imbalance of power in the country, but he is not a true believer in any political cause,” it stated.
“He instead went to the rally because he thought it would be a historic moment and he had nothing better to do after getting out of jail.”
Trump pardons J6 rioters
Trump’s recent pardon spree included Huttle and his uncle among approximately 1,500 individuals who were forgiven for any charges linked to the Capitol events of January 6, 2021.
Hours after taking office, Trump’s executive order granted broad pardons to nearly all individuals facing convictions tied to the J6.
“This proclamation ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation,” the order reads.
While 14 individuals received sentence commutations, the document specifies that full, unconditional pardons were awarded “to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.”
